Alwatian

Alwatian is the ancient religion of the Ursumar, opposed to the Hōsuyan religion of the Ægyians. In the Alwatian faith, gods are honored by building great statues of them, with individuals keeping smaller icons of the gods in their homes. Alwatians believe that many of their oldest cities were founded by the gods themselves, and therefore host some of the oldest and most distinguished cities in the world, surpassing a hundred thousand inhabitants in a few. Alwatians believe that by remaining in these cities they can honor the gods most effectively, and each city said to be founded by a specific god holds a great temple within that honors that god as well as having a much higher amount of great statues present. Any gods with no cities dedicated to them in this way are still honored but not with such magnitude in any one city. The Alwatian religion believes in a hierarchical structure of gods, with the accomplishments of men being an extension of the gods themselves. Therefore defeated nations’ gods are subsumed into the pantheon, sometimes replacing or splitting roles with other gods that have faded from relevancy. The exact nature of this change is determined by the seers, a class of priests dedicated to interpreting divine events. The current leader of the pantheon is Bēlqūaš, said to have founded Bēlqūašdu, one of the most important cities of the Divinity of Bēlqūašdu and its original capital.
Alwatians believe that the gods are a race of beings like any other, that they can die and be killed, but that their power level and lifespan is infinite compared to a mortal being. However, mortals can be raised to the level of the gods via the actions of at least 4 gods, which is usually only considered if this mortal is a demingod. It is said that the gods are fighting an eternal war against the spawn of Tsēwumat and Ayimzûgud. Tsēwumat , who is the mother figure of the pantheon but consorted with the demon god Ayimzûgud to overthrow her husband and plunge the world into darkness. Thus, she forsook her duties and was driven mad; and her children and their children fight against her and her demon spawn to this day. Current Major Pantheon:

• Bēlqūaš: The god of magic, learning, and writing. Bēlqūaš was considered a minor god for very long time, but the seers have stated that his gathering of knowledge allowed man to fight disease and that he could not stand idle while the other gods sickened, hence his usurpation. They say that it is this that caused mortal events to run parallel to these events. His symbol is a scroll.
• Ashēryk: The god of order, loyalty, metalworking, and rulership. Ashēryk has been head of the pantheon twice, though the earlier one was a co-leadership. Under the Divinity of Ashēryku, his cult took over more duties than even before, and he is still considered powerful by the seers. His symbol is a golden mace with a purple grip.
• Urgūn: God of honor, war. Urgūn is said to be a warrior god, unfit for ruling, and so his city has for a very long time been a soldier camp and not much of a political center. He acted as regent after the death of Anūr. His symbol is a ram's head crafted into a mighty helm.
• Ez: God of craftsmanship, construction, and sieges. Ez was the earliest documented head of the pantheon after the death of Anūr, although there is a gap of 1000 years before his ascension during which Urgūn was regent. However, Ez defeated Urgūn in battle and took the seat, after this the other gods voted him as the head god unanimously. Ez's symbol is a hammer carved from the horns of a water buffalo.
• Enkūn: Goddess of farming and nature. A peaceful goddess and with little political aspirations, it is said she taught humans agriculture, from which the first cities arose. Enkūn city is indeed one of the oldest cities, lending credence to this myth in believers' eyes. After inventing agriculture, Enkūn was worshipped by humans so much that she was appointed as co-regent with Anūr, though she also stepped down after his defeat. Her symbol is a sickle made from the wheat it cuts.
• Trūnth: God of military tactics and courage. Trūnth was so focused on fighting that he neglected his people, leaving them to be enslaved. However he returned and taught them military tactics and inspired them to their independence. It is said they founded Trūnth after they won their freedom. His symbol is a pair of broken shackles, inscribed with divine words.
• Krunador: The god of natural disasters, storms, weather, and cavalry charges. Krunador gifed the first horse to Ez, who proclaimed that any who tamed it would be honored. Krunador then tamed the horse and seized the throne of the gods, ruling from horseback for many years. His symbol, naturally, is a horse.
• Bāblus: The god of prophecy, and time. Bāblus is a god who plays the long game, patron of the Seers, and the only god to hold the throne twice. He claims that he can predict every event, but refuses to change the future by telling. Thus, he accedes the throne whenever it is time. His symbol is a crystal ball.
• Sarfun: The god of night, dreams, and prophecies. Unlike Bāblus, Sarfun sees prophecies in his sleep, which manifest in omens and the like. It is said that he has been slumbering for 2000 years, and that when he wakes the next great prophecy will be heard, which will cause great chaos among the world. His symbol is a closed eye on a palm laid perpindicular to the page.
• Yvalny: The goddess of water and rivers. Yvalny is another peaceful goddess with few political aspirations. It is said she shares her love equally among all, and therefore refuses to allow cities to be built bearing he name. Her symbol is a waterfall.
• Drēz: Goddess of family, fertility, discipline. A stern mother goddess, Drēz is the eldest sister of the gods. Taking over as the woman of the houshold after the madness of Tsēwumat, she taught humans to honor their parents and family, and ensured that life continued. Also the only woman to ever have control over the throne of the gods. Her symbol is a hearth.
• Of these gods, all but Yvalny and Krunador have their own cities

Deceased or unworshipped Gods:

• Ayimzûgud: The god of demons, chaos, evil, the underworld, and corruption. He was formed from the essence of chaos and seeks to return all of the world to it. His symbol is a serpent with horns.
• Tsēwumat: the goddess of darkness and hate, former goddess of the moon, fertility, and the ocean. Tsēwumat was driven mad by copulating with Ayimzûgud and seeks to destroy the world so she can finally rest. Her symbol is a crescent moon turned 90 degrees.
• Anūr: A dead god, former wife of Tsēwumat, and former god of the sun, order, and time, twice-slain by Ayimzûgud and with his essence scattered. Anūr's symbol was a golden, crowned sun.
• Eskurkal: The dead goddess of the underworld, twice-slain by Ayimzûgud and with her essence scattered. Eskurkal's symbol was a skull turned into a chalice.
• Sucebu: The first offspring of Ayimzûgud and Tsēwumat, whose birth caused her mother's insanity. She is goddess of madness, cruelty, torture, and queen of the succubi. Her symbol is a crown of thorns.

Timeline of the Divine Throne

1. Anūr-Tsēwumat Co-rulership (before 6582 BC)
2. Anūr (6582 BC - 5582 BC)
3. Anūr-Enkūn Co-rulership (5582 BC - 4382 BC)
4. Urgūn regency (4382 BC - 3382 BC)
5. Ez (3382 BC - 2081 BC)
6. Krunador (2081 BC - 1177 BC)
7. Drēz (1177 BC - 36 BC)
8. Sarfun (36 BC - 42 SC)
9. Bāblus (42 SC - 606 SC)
10. Ashēryk-Trūnth Co-rulership (606 SC - 1013 SC)
11. Bāblus (1013 SC - 1597 SC)
12. Ashēryk (1597 SC - 1815 SC)
13. Bēlqūaš (1815 SC - present, since 1974 SC disputed)